Stay true to the dreams of thy youth

• Releasing doves is like ringing dinner bell - The Washington Post

  "Not likely, the experts say. When the pope let those birds go Sunday, he was asking for trouble. In a place filled with pigeons and other fat targets for birds of prey, it was like tossing out sausages with wings. "

  tags: random pope catholics rome vatican hilarious

• Dairy cows exploded their own barn by farting | Death and Taxes

  "Today in highbrow news, cows on a German dairy farm blew up their barn by farting. According to a report from Reuters, “90 flatulent cows exploded” and damaged the roof of the barn. It’s not yet clear what the cows were protesting. "

  tags: random germany cows dairy

• Draft Beer Flavored Jelly Beans Released By Jelly Belly

  "Draft Beer Flavored Jelly Beans Released By Jelly Belly"

  tags: random beer candy food

• UAE looking to invest in US and Canada gas projects - FT.com

  "The United Arab Emirates is considering investing in US and Canadian gas projects to take advantage of low prices created by the shale boom, as Gulf states increasingly turn to imports to meet soaring domestic energy demand. "

  tags: oil gas energy uae dubai abudhabi gcc middleeast

• Suds and Sudsability: Jane Austen brewed beer. Women are back, reinvigorating the trade. - SmartPlanet

  "Jane Austen is best known as an early 19th century English novelist who wrote classics such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. But what did she do when she wasn't weaving yarns of romance and social criticism? She brewed beer, as did many women of her time.  As the BBC writes, "In Austen's day it was part of her household duties and had been women's work for thousands of years." By the mid 20th century, however, beer had assumed a male gender."

  tags: brewing beer craftbrewing craftbeer british unitedkingdom austen

• Dead Man Found Hanging In Kiev's Independence Square

  "KIEV (Reuters) - A 55-year-old man was found dead on Monday hanging from the framework of a huge artificial 'New Year tree' in central Kiev which has become a symbol of anti-government resistance, Ukrainian police said. "

  tags: ukraine russia balanceofpower politics europe

• Sochi Mayor Says There Are No Gay People In His City

  "The mayor of Sochi is under the impression that there are no gay people in his city. Anatoly Pakhomov spoke with the BBC ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics and discussed how gay people would be treated in the Russian region with the country's "homosexual propaganda" law in place. Pakhomov said gays are welcome at the Games in spite of this, so long as they "respect the laws of the Russian Federation and [don't] impose their habits on others.""

  tags: politics gay russia olympics

• Where conservatives can find common ground on limiting government | WashingtonExaminer.com

  "If the goals of limited-government conservatives could be distilled into three simple demands for Republicans, they would be as follows: – When possible, eliminate existing government programs. – When impossible to eliminate government programs, make them more efficient, with more flexibility granted to states and individuals. – Failing this, at least block the creation of new government programs."

  tags: republicans politics teabaggers conservatives

• Interactive currency-comparison tool: The Big Mac index | The Economist

  "THE Big Mac index was invented by The Economist in 1986 as a lighthearted guide to whether currencies are at their “correct” level. It is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity (PPP), the notion that in the long run exchange rates should move towards the rate that would equalise the prices of an identical basket of goods and services (in this case, a burger) in any two countries. For example, the average price of a Big Mac in America in January 2014 was $4.62; in China it was only $2.74 at market exchange rates. So the "raw" Big Mac index says that the yuan was undervalued by 41% at that time. "

  tags: bigmac fastfood currency money trade politics

• Snowden docs reveal British spies snooped on YouTube and Facebook - Investigations

  "The British government can tap into the cables carrying the world’s web traffic at will and spy on what people are doing on some of the world’s most popular social media sites, including YouTube, all without the knowledge or consent of the companies. "

  tags: guardian snowden nsa spying bigbrother privacy unitedstates

• NSA and GCHQ target 'leaky' phone apps like Angry Birds to scoop user data | World news | The Guardian

  "The National Security Agency and its UK counterpart GCHQ have been developing capabilities to take advantage of "leaky" smartphone apps, such as the wildly popular Angry Birds game, that transmit users' private information across the internet, according to top secret documents. "

  tags: guardian snowden nsa spying bigbrother privacy unitedstates

• Possible suicide attempt by Colorado high schooler

  "Details are still scarce, but a 16-year-old high school student reportedly attempted suicide this morning by setting himself on fire in his school's cafeteria. According to the local ABC affiliate in Denver, the boy suffered severe burns and was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was in critical condition this morning. "

  tags: random denver colorado unitedstates violence school

• Rand Paul on the “war on women”: Women have “won” because my niece goes to Cornell.

  "Between this comment and Mike Huckabee's last week, it's starting to seem that many Republicans have decided to give up on trying to appeal to female voters. Despite couching their remarks in insincere, smarmy praise for women, the clear message coming from Republicans lately is that ladies can't keep their legs shut and are hogging up all the degrees. Conservatives may reject the phrase "war on women," but that doesn't mean they won't pander for votes by waging it.  "

  tags: women republicans teabaggers teaparty politics hilarious

• Coke-Busted Congressman Resigns - The Daily Beast

  "Republican Congressman Trey Radel announced today that he will resign from Congress. The GOP freshman pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in November after he was caught buying 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover police officer. Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other Republicans had called for him to resign, and the House Ethics Committee said it would launch an investigation. At the time of his arrest, he said "I will take it one day at a time and, in doing so, I hope to rebuild and regain trust.""

  tags: republicans drugs cocaine florida unitedstates

• P&G's Chocolate Toothpaste: Innovation or Desperation? - Businessweek

  "Procter & Gamble’s R&D folks seem to have been busy working on their shark-jumping skills. In a conference call with investors and analysts this morning, the consumer-goods giant touted a new line of Crest toothpaste aimed at “experiential” customers (as opposed to people who brush their teeth without “experiencing” the act at all). The line, which P&G (PG) promises to start selling soon, comprises three flavors: “Mint Chocolate Trek,” “Lime Spearmint Zest,” and “Vanilla Mint Spark.” Here’s how the Crest marketing team describes the new paste: “It’s a whole new world of deliciousness for toothbrushes everywhere.”"

  tags: random p&g r&d health

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.